A Colder Eye: The Modern Irish Writers

New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. Very Good+ with no dust jacket. 1983. Book Club Edition; First Printing. Paperback. Very Good+ in Wraps: shows a hint of sunning to the backstrip (the white titles thereon remain bold and clearly legible) ; a tiny, faint smudge to the upper fore-edge; a former owner's name and date inscribed in ink at the upper front endpaper; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of creases to the panels. Free of creases to the backstrip. Free of creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. A hansome, carefully-used copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing minor, unobtrusive imperfections. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. Close to "As New". NOT a Remainder or Ex-Library. 8vo. (9.25 x 6.15 x 0.85 inches) . Extensive Notes. Index. Language: English. Weight: 16.4 ounces. Paperback. Hugh Kenner (1923 – 2003) was a Canadian literary scholar, critic and professor. He published widely on Modernist literature with particular emphasis on James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Samuel Beckett. His major study of the period, The Pound Era, argued for Pound as the central figure of Modernism, and is considered one of the most important works on the topic. Though best known for his work on modernist literature, Kenner's range of interests was wide. His books include an appreciation of Chuck Jones, an introduction to geodesic math, and a user's guide for the Heathkit H100/Zenith Z-100 computer; in his later years he was a columnist for both 'Art & Antiques' and 'Byte magazine'. Kenner was a friend of William F. Buckley, Jr. , to whom Kenner introduced word processing, and a contributor to National Review. He also shared a close correspondence with Guy Davenport, the noted scholar and fiction writer. The ascerbnic Kenner's take on modern Irish writers is full of wit, wisdom and wonderful titbits. A deliciously funny and engaging look at the personalities and history behind Irish literature in a tumultuous time. The care and humor with which Kenner treats the subject of Yeats is just beautiful. Several times I laughed out loud while reading it on public mass transit, much to the dismay and confusion of my fellow riders, but I just couldn't help it. This is a wickedly knowledgeable book, and entirely readable, especially the beginning, which can be read aloud straight through without losing you your audience. ; Large 8vo 9" - 10" tall; xiv, 299 pages. pages .